THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXXIV, Issue 23, 14 February 1914, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

[By Promptior.]

AT the Opera House, the prevailing Breiman - Fuller people are giving good colours of entertainment. There are Five Musical Lasses who are, perhaps, more tuneful than a similar number of musical girls to date. They exhibit for your merriment and enjoyment a series of excellently artistic numbers of superior merit. This turn is novel to New Zealand and the matter sung will form the basis of the street boys' selections for some time to come. A. brave of the Sioux tribe, from the far-backs of United States territory, is chanting a few staves for the delectation of the audiences. " Eagle Horse '" baritones in a capable way and is much applauded on account of his sure-enough Red Indianism. From France, so it is said, come the Three Luxors, who have been enchanting aristocratic Paris with the excellence of their work. Moreover, Vemade, " the Premier Entertainer of England, ' who has apparently enthralled the cognoscenti of London's West End, is among us. His turn is of much merit.

Dixie Southern, who with a few deft strokes gives you a character, is going like a grass fire. Let me say one word about Fanny Rice. She has the novelty. Fanny appears m a u-ame of electric lights. Fanny uses her own head and the lower end of a inaniiikin. She is highly successful in her clever presentment of notable people. For instance, her idea of Harry Lauder is exceedingly good. Fanny is a "star" and her employees might make a note of it. The Howard bears present an example of careful human tuition, highly gratifying to the tutors. Whether the bears like it, I don't know. The show is good. Welsh and Carbasse, undeniables from America, give loud and clear samples of the very latest sentences tbat are amusing New York. The lady is out to do the most she can for the money paid at the box office and the gentleman smiles right hard—you bet ! Charles Zoh, a gentleman who certainly heard Bow Bells chime in his infancy, does Italian caricatures right well. Tom Leonard is (if he will excuse me for saying so) one of the best entertainers on the programme, and Carlton and Sutton give good returns.

The selection of enchanting bits of nature, among which the joys and sorrows of people are depicted is one o* the outstanding attractions of the cinema art. At the Globe Picture Theatre the prevailing "star' is " When Mountain and Valley Meet," a tender little tale of love, devotion, and the gentle passions enriched by surroundings that enhance the expression of the clever people who invest the story with such interest. " The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring" is a very fine " display" film by the famous Pathe Brothers, redolent with blossoms whose perfumes can almost be enjoyed. "A Royal Romance" is built on the ancient but interesting foundation ot the humble man's love for his social superior. It is unnecessary to state that the musician in the story reaches for the aristocrat of his heart and gets her. A story rich in comedy is " Caused by the Clock." So also is "Ma's Apron Strings." The New Zealand Animated News is loaded with local and New Zealand subjects of interest, including the great cricket match which was won by the best team, the Fire Brigade Contest, and other events much more notable than the Balkan war.

The delighting open air concert at the Exhibition "on Saturday night last emphasised the fact that Auckland local talent is especially good. A particular attraction were the double duets of Sign or C-esare Giulius and Mr Francis Coi-myall with voice, mandoline, and guitar. Signor Giulius has an exceptionally brilliant tenor voice and in "Finicula,, and "Studentina" (double duets) the combination was wholly charming. The popular favourites, the Lyric Four, gave exceptional value and Mr Alan McElwain, the humourist, gave fine samples of his best work. The vocal contributions of Miss Lurline Wrigley, Mr J. Wallace Atkinson, and Mr J. Ryan were excellent. Also was the xylophone solo by Mr Claude Over. Mr Poole's orchestra played Guppe's " Pique Dance" as an overture in a waj' that delighted the 2,000 people who heard it.

People who attend the Lyric will take special interest in the new film, the " Dairy Industry of New Zealand." If the Auckland knut can be induced to believe that although he works for Remnant and Job, the eminent drapers, the dairy industry keeps him, he will rush this film with his eyes standing out like hatpegs. It really does illustrate the business from paddock to milk jug and from cow to butter cooler. " Under the Daisies" is a sweet domestic drama teaching tender thoughts. Leo Delaney, a notable pantomimist, is in the leading role. It is very good. A new showing of the modern dance craze, the tango, gets the gladdest hand that can be served out to it. A fine sermon is preached in " What shall it Profit a Man?" a play which insists that the man vI o "goes wide" ami is a devil of a fellow has the devil for a fellow when he has passed in his check. Altogether an apt and excellent method of wheeling up the young man with a love for himself and talking in his ear. A good Vitagraph comedy is " When Glasses are not Glasses," hits the pepulur fancy, and the latest Gaumont Graphic i* very much worth while.

The King's Theatre is showing " The Plot of India's Hillmen," which is played among the everlasting tumuli of the King's black and gold Empire. Although it is unusual for any AngloIndian to invent anything except new methods of doing nothing, the gentleman in the play puts up a creditable explosive, presumably to blow tbe enemies of the Emperor to bits. A Russian spy (ha ! ha !) steals the formula and gets his dark friends of the hills to make the explosive. The dramatic unities are preserved by the sudden and tremendous way Nickolaffski and Co. are spread around the scenery. A telling tale is " The Tiger " wherein it is shown that love may flourish and hate grow even in close proximity to the felidae, for there is an exciting scene in the cage of the tiger, although happily the casualties are nil. "The Beauties of Venice " are the beauties that have been visible for some hundreds of years. By the way the picturesque gondolier and his quaint craft are now disappearing and the chug chug of the motor boat is heard outside the Doge's Palace. " The Autocrat of Flapjack Junction" caricatures the kind of person whose importance is gauged by his own mental vision. He might be chairman of a school committee, he is so eminent. Anniversary Day in Wellington shows the Empire city en fete and there are other New Zealand subjects of absorbing interest.

The Queen's Theatre is scintillant with several gem " movies," the chief glow coming from an Italian sensation " At Hand Grips with Death," done with the wealth of pantomimic gesture for which the people of Italia are so noted. In fact an Italian speaks to you with his hands across two streets. The concomitants for this sensation are a bunch of smugglers and a sweet girl. One smuggler is infatuated with the lady who likes him not. He being a smuggler arranges a decisive death for her but the old man with the scythe coming up with a fast run on the last lap reaps him instead and the beautiful girl marries Mr Right. " The Manicure Girl "

shows how the simple knut may be entrapped by the guileless girl with the nail-scissors and is full of sparkling comedy. "The Engraver " deals largely with crime among the mines— in fact about 75 per cent, of "movies" deal with crime.

At the Princess Theatre the prevailing continuous pictures are of a wholly satisfying nature. Starred thi3 change is a comedy, "In the Dark." Misguided persons with a penchant for society mistake a serving maid of nice appearance for an heiress and load her with worship. It is the discovery that Mary Ann is not a countess or even the daughter of a thousand earls that constitutes the comedy. Mary Ann is a very fine actress. ' " The Man He Might Hi-ve Been" preaches the old-time sermon of the man he wasn't and the man he couldn't be. You, for instance, might have been a millionaire or instead of being an obscure business man might have attained the intellectual eminence of M.P. for Auckland Central. "The Spartan Girl of the West" details the courageous exploits of a girl with a heart of gold, the sort of girl that would be lost jerking a typewriter or rushing the bargain counters. The self denial of this girl is quite refreshing and she is a nimble damsel. " A Modern Steel Plant " shows us the kind of plant we haven't got in New Zealand, mostly _ because we've got more raw material than most countries twice as big. There is a solid fascination about this industrial record. " Bloomer's Duel " is a sanguinary conflict of the comic order in which a notable exponent of the pictorial art of horseplay works with great galvanism. »

The death is anounced as having taken place in New York of Mr Percy Denton, the exceedingly large comedian who visited New Zealand on several occasions, and for a time resided in Dunedin. Percy Denton first came to Australia with the original "Belle of New York " Company, and was the original Dr Snipkins father of Cora Angelique, the queen of comic opera) in the American musical comedy. This company did not come to New Zealand; but Denton came over with another Williamson organisation, and subsequently paid periodical visits. He dropped the stage for a time and took up insurance canvassing in New Zealand, and was very successful. A long and serious illness followed, and after being nursed back to life in the Timaru Hospital he returned to Australia. His last visit was with " The Red Mill " and " Prince of Pilsen " Company. Percy Denton then went into vaudeville, doing sketches with Miss Sinclair (now a member of the Crimson Ramblers) as partner. He returned to America, and the last I heard of him (writes "Pasquin," in the Otago " Witness ") Avas per medium of a postcard and a poster, in which he was billed as "the man who was singing his way from Chicago to New York." There be many in New Zealand who will be sorry to hear of his death.

It is rather curious that picture plays don't get the descriptive writing that infinitely worse " red blood" do. A trumpery melodrama comes along and everybody (including me) rushes into print about it. As° a sample of exceedingly fine playing I name " A House of Discord " put on last week at the Princess Theatre. The art with which the A.B. actress who stars in it is so faithful that it conceals art, there is a depth of feeling and expression in the work that is wholly admirable. If one considers the difficulties of "playing to a camera and generally in a very confined area, with one side open to the wide world, one gets some idea of the genius of the best players. The exceptionally clever young lady who plays the star part in "A House of Discord " is also- to be frequently seen in dashing horsemanship pictures. With another A.B. actress of particularly small size she has the most expressive series of gestures for conveying emotions I have ever seen. It is a lesson in stage art to see either of these ladies merely using her hands.

George Willoughby's New Zealand tour with the " Aladdin" pantomime begins at Wellington on February 26, and reaches Auckland on March 21st. The company includes the Misses Grace Palotta, Carrie Moore, Mabel Batchelar, four big imported English and American specialty turns, Ponies and Horses. Over 160 people will travel with the company from Australia and in addition a large number of people will be employed in New Zealand. The Fallens, America's ragtime and Tango speciality artists, are also in the production. Over 200 people take part in the Ragtime Revue which concludes the first act. This is a feature of the production. A stage staff of over 20 will be brought form Australia and in addition a small army will be brought Bead shrd small army will be engaged in New Zealand. An operatic orchestra will be brought over and will be augmented in each of the centres.

Mr George Dean, who is to leave for America by the Ventura on sth February (says Sydney Daily "Telegraph"), is able to look back upon a record of work as a clever comedian since the day he arrived in Australia thirty years ago as one of the George Musgrove principals in the production of " La Fille dv Tambour Major " and other light operas. He was the Bambini of that opera; and the cast included Miss Nellie Stewart and many other popular artists, some of whom have long since joined the great majority—Pattie Laverne, Fred Mervin, Albert Brennir, and others. Mr Dean was afterwards with the Dunning Opera Company, and with the Simontens. He was in the production of " Falka," with which the Sydney Criterion was opened. In that cast, Emilie Melville, Fanny Liddiard, and Verdi were also Prominent. He visited England twice since his first apearance in Australia, and for the last few years has been in vaudeville.